04. The magic grows: Belarus rehearses UPD

by Richard West-Soley 130 views

Koldun and the Belarus team continue to build on their dramatic show elements in a strong second rehearsal at the Hartwall Arena.

The Belarussian team now seem to be dressed for the part, all in black, Koldun himself in a black silken shirt open to the chest. As such, the whole stage is in classic blacks and whites, with the tiniest hint of indigo in the lighting. A deep star field zooms behind the set, giving the impression that the performers are singing and dancing somewhere in space.

Reserved vocal
Koldun's vocal, which had been seen as the make-or-break factor of this entry, is holding up well; he pushes it, and some of the longer, higher notes seem a touch brittle, but otherwise he carries the tune strongly. There is definitely a sense that he is saving himself for the big night, and there is not even an attempt to reach the final high note of the big finish yet. Otherwise, the performance is gutsy and confident, and Koldun looks intense on stage.

The magical elements such as Koldun's initial appearance from nowhere and the vertical wall climbing are looking better than ever; the general consensus is that these clever touches really make the show. Koldun's dancers are a real credit to the song, and they truly maximise the energy of the routine.

The team managed to run through that very show several times, making the absolute most out of the time they had to get everything just right and learnt by heart.

Press conference

The Belarusian delegation worked its magic at the 2nd press conference; they offered a nice box with sweets to the ones who asked the best questions to Koldun. The delegation is very pleased with the second rehearsal, and it’s almost certain that there won’t be any changes in Koldun´s stage act. In answer to one question, Koldun stated that the most magical moment in his career so far was his participation in Russian Factory but he’s hoping that the result in the Eurovision Song Contest will be the next one.

For the rest, Philip Kirkorov, former Eurovision Song Contest participant and actual composer, producer and… choreographer of Dmitry Koldun´s Work your magic answered most of the questions himself. Kirkorov stated that Fokas Evaggelinos –successful choreographer of the Greek entries in 2004 and in 2005- is not the choreographer of the Belarusian entry this year, denyingrumours that he was. He didn’t deny though that he asked Evaggelinos’ help, but the Greek choreographer saidall he could do was just paying them a visit here in Helsinki today for the 2nd rehearsal of Koldun, offering his precious advices to his friend Phillip Kirkorov and Dmitry Koldun.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SXIxoAGF6E